VARGA – Enter The Metal

(Vargantuan Music) 2013

With their first release since 1995’s Oxygen, the band that brought you “Freeze, Don’t Move,” have been unthawed, and much like the being from John Carpenter’s “The Thing,” seem hell-bent on getting back to wreaking havoc with their science fiction tinged prog-metal.

Over the 6 tracks included on Enter The Metal, the reunited Hamilton ON four-piece peel out shards of herky-jerky metal complete with galloping rhythms, and time changes that you just might have to bust out your calculator to get the gist of.

Produced by the band, and Julius Butty, (Alexisonfire/Protest The Hero) tracks like “Beginning Of the End,” with its initial pummelling guitar onslaught, unexpected acoustic bridge, and Cliff Burton-like distorted bass foundation, along with the chugging, ”No More Clean Air,” offer the listener a sound that is absolutely colossal.

Adam Alex, and co-guitarist, Sean Williamson are definitely no slouches and the rhythm section of drummer, Dan Fila, and bassist/vocalist, Joe Varga, more than capably keep this math-metal-driven lunacy anchored down. For fans of prog-metal, this is right up your alley, and if you can get past the science-fiction/horror themed lyrics, and songs about Japanese monster movies, and focus on the band’s king-sized riffs, then Enter The Metal is a goldmine.